Camelot Academy
by LinariteLavanya
Summary: AU. Merlin has transferred to Camelot Academy, a prestigious private school for knights and nobles. Merlin, however, is neither. He is a magician, one of only a few in the school. And with magic despised by the other students, will Merlin be able to last? -BACK ON HIATUS. Sorry.-
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **

**To readers in general****: Hi there! This story was written for my beloved friend Amiri. It's an Alternate Universe story for the Arthur/Merlin pairing. Which means, yes, this will be a yaoi story (eventually). If you're not into yaoi, you should **_**not**_** be here reading this. Anyone who doesn't like m/m pairings and feels the need to flame the story will be, at best, ignored and at worst….well, we'll see. XD. Regular constructive criticism, however, is very welcome. :D Also, just to warn anyone else who may read this, this will most likely be a cheesy story. It'll be hard to avoid it when I'm writing Merlin AU at a boarding school. XD Also, since it is AU, some characters'll be out of character and such. Basically, I'm taking liberties. Don't kill me. XD. **

**To Amiri****: I hope you like it, it's a big first for me. First Merlin fic, first yaoi fic, first AU fic….jeez. All this to make you happy. : D. I think I'll make it into a whole story, too. So it's a long extended gift, I suppose. XD. In any case, like I said before, cheesy. I know how much you like cheesy stories, so I assume you won't mind. XD Do make sure to review though, because otherwise I'll never know if you like it or not. And since it's a story for you, it's important that you like it, ne?**

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><p>Merlin unpacked his bags, already feeling horribly out of place. Camelot Academy was for knights and nobles, not peasants. But he hadn't had much of a choice in the matter. His mother had sent him to the Academy out of necessity. First of all, his magic. The Academy was the only place in the kingdom where a person could possess and use magic without being killed on sight. It still wasn't advisable to flaunt it, of course. Magicians were loathed by the upper-class nobility, who took every opportunity to 'put them in their place'. Secondly, his uncle Gaius was the Academy…nurse, so to speak. Gaius had managed to get Merlin enrolled, despite his being a peasant with no noble blood.<p>

Which was going to cause him no end of grief, he knew. Even the other magicians in the school, few though they were, were of noble blood. He was the only non-noble to be enrolled. Ever.

And he'd already been singled out for it.

He'd arrived on horseback an hour ago, and had gone to the stables to get his horse settled in. And had run into a duke's son. Ilvelt, he'd said his name was, the youngest son of Duke Marlain, who ruled somewhere far away.

"_Well, if it isn't the peasant trash. I'd heard a rumor a piece of filth was going to enroll. I was hoping it was just a lot of rubbish." The young man sneered. _

_Merlin bit back his retort, and instead made sure his mare was comfortable in her stall, checking her feed bag. _

"_Did you not hear me?" The man demanded. _

"_I heard you."_

"_And?"_

_Merlin turned to face the noble, putting on a smile that more often than not provoked anger rather appeasement. "I'm unimpressed."_

"_Oh?"_

"_I was rather hoping that such a well-talked about academy would have students who were a little smarter."_

"_Are you calling me stupid?" The noble asked dangerously, advancing on him. _

"_No."_

_Ilvelt's eyes narrowed. "It sounded like you were."_

"_No it didn't."_

"_It didn't?"_

"_No."_

The next ten minutes had been spent with Ilvelt detailing the various ways he would pummel Merlin if the younger man talked back to him again. Merlin didn't think his threats of throwing him down a well or tossing him into a dung heap particularly creative, but nevertheless wanted to avoid such spectacles. As a result he'd managed to put on a submissive face and nod convincingly enough to get Ilvelt to leave him alone. For the time being, anyway.

And now he stood in his room. It was extremely small, but still more than he'd had at home in his village. Bed, bookcase, dresser, cabinet. There was even a small desk crammed into the corner.

_Everything a student needs_, he mused. _Pity the school's full of arrogant jerks._

He finished unpacking his few belongings, and went to find the dining hall. It was late afternoon and Saturday, so they'd still be serving lunch.

He couldn't help but notice the looks the other students gave him as he walked through the halls. _Who is this street-rat? _The looks said. _Who is he to be here with us?_

After sitting down in the banquet hall with his lunch (a stew and some bread) he saw a strange spectacle. A boy who seemed to be around his age was being harassed by some other students. The boy had dark shoulder-length hair and lightly tanned skin. He was dressed like nobility, but his clothes were frayed at the edegs, like they'd seen better days.

"Who is that boy?" Merlin asked, leaning over to talk to a student further down the table.

The student looked up. "Who?"

Merlin pointed.

"Oh. Him." The student frowned. "Marlet Dorvain. Poor kid. They're always hassling him. Arthur and his crew are, I mean" He pointed to a tall golden-haired boy who was standing back a bit, but smirking.

"Arthur?" Merlin repeated.

He nodded. "He's the king's son, which is why no ones dares stop him." He stabbed at his lunch. "He's nothing but a bully."

"Hm." Merlin stood up.

"Hey. Where are you going?"

"Over there."

His eyes widened. "You did hear the part about him being royal, right?"

"Yeah."

"So you realize that if you even go near him looking funny you're in trouble."

"Yeah."

The student looked at him carefully. "What did you say your name was?"

"I didn't say. But it's Merlin." The young magician smiled. "And yours?"

"Lancelot."

"Nice to meet you Lancelot. See you later."

Ignoring Lancelot's calls after him, he approached the knot of people surrounding poor Marlet. He grabbed a piece of fruit from another student's plate as he walked, and lobbed it at the golden haired boy. It hit him in the back of the head, and he spun around.

"Ah," he said, noticing Merlin. "Someone who thinks he's clever." He walked forward. "You do know who I am, don't you?"

Merlin nodded. "A prat."

"What?"

"Royal prat." he amended.

Arthir gave a strained chuckle and stepped forward.

An hour later, Merlin was released from the infirmary covered in bruises. His uncle Gaius tried to get him to stay overnight, but he wasn't having any of it. He left as soon as he could, motivated more than a little bit by the threats he'd received from two of Arthur's lackey's following his thumping. He heaved a deep sigh and headed for his room.

"I did warn you."

Merlin turned, and saw Lancelot leaning against the wall. "Warn me?"

"Arthur is the king's son." Lancelot said, pushing off from the wall. "You didn't stand a chance."

"Yet another vote of confidence. Thank you." Merlin walked past him.

Lancelot followed. "All I'm saying is that you should have known better."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Maybe?" Lancelot repeated, shooting him in incredulous look. "You get beaten black and blue, and all you can muster up is a 'maybe'"?

Merlin shrugged. "Is there something you want? Why are you talking to me anyway? You're a noble."

"No."

Merlin stopped walking. "What?"

"I'm not a noble. And neither are you."

"Yeah. The farmer clothing kind of gives it away. But you…you're…" The magician waved a hand at Lancelot's fine clothing.

"I'm here under….false pretenses."

"Huh. And why are you telling me this?"

"Because you asked."

"No I didn't"

Lancelot rolled his eyes. "Not in so many words, no, but you were curious."

"Mm." Merlin continued walking.

Once again Lancelot followed after. "So…"

"So."

"You're new here."

Now Merlin rolled his eyes. "You're really on top of things, aren't you?"

"I try."

"You never told me what you wanted," Merlin noticed.

"I don't want anything."

"Everyone wants something."

"Yes, I suppose that's true. But I don't want anything particular at the moment. Just a friend."

"Friend?" Merlin repeated, glancing at the other young man from the corner of his eye.

Lancelot noticed the look, and openly grinned. "Yes. And you could use one as well, seeing as how you're picking fights with Arthur."

"I didn't pick a fight." Merlin grumbled.

"You threw fruit at him."

Merlin just shrugged. "So I threw fruit. There's no rule that says you need to beat the tar out of someone who messes up your hair."

"You're going to make things very interesting around here." Lancelot observed.

"The fun's only just starting." Merlin answered.

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><p><strong>AN: Well, how was it? Terrible, I know. But I did my very best, and it was written with love. XD.**

**It is going to be a full-length ongoing story, and I'll probably update it about every week or so? So chapter length'll probably vary. Also, any ideas as to how to work in the other characters would be nice. Because as we all know, Merlin has a bucketload of characters. XD. **

**Reviews, please! (But none that tell me how much this story sucks. Because I already know that. Even my author's notes are exceptionally cruddy. XD.)  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okie-dokie, here's chapter 2. Again, sorry for all the OOC-ness. I can only throw up the phrases 'fan fic' and 'AU' in my defense, so please don't hurt me. :D **

**Many thanks to all who are reading this. And even bigger '**_**thank you**_**'s to everyone who's reviewed, or added the story to your alerts or favorites. You're all personally thanked on my profile. :D. **

**Now, onward, to chapter 2!**

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><p>"Why was Marlet their target, anyway?" Merlin asked the next day at breakfast. "Who is he?"<p>

Lancelot looked up from his porridge. "He's a magic-user. And Arthur's father is known to hate magic. Since he's king, his ideas sort of spread around, and now almost everyone has a similar outlook."

"Do you?" Merlin asked carefully. If his new ally hated magicians, he'd be in serious trouble.

Lancelot eyed him, and grinned. "I'd have chosen a strange person to befriend if I did, don't you think?"

Merlin blinked, surprised. "You knew? How?"

Lancelot shrugged. "There's just something about you."

"Is it obvious?" he asked, now worried.

"No." Lancelet said reassuringly. "It isn't. But I knew another magician once, and you remind me of him."

"A resemblance?" Merlin asked in disbelief. "You knew I had magic based on my resemblance to some other person?"

"Well, you confirmed it."

The magician cursed under his breath and Lancelot laughed.

"I'm glad I amuse you." Merlin muttered.

Lancelot patted him on the back. "It's all about having fun, Merlin. With all these rich buggers running the school, personal entertainment is about all we've got."

Merlin just sighed. "Wonderful." Then he noticed Marlet grabbing his lunch and not sitting, instead looking around anxiously, as if any step forward would be the wrong one.

"Do you want another friend?" Merlin asked Lancelot.

Lancelot frowned, confused.

"Yes or no." Merlin added.

"Yes?"

"Good." Merlin nodded. "Marlet!" he shouted, his voice carrying over the buzz of the banquet hall.

The other boy jumped, startled, and looked over at him.

Merlin pointed to the empty seat across the table from himself and Lancelot, ignoring the looks the other students were giving him.

Marlet looked around, frightened. Then he looked back at Merlin, who simply pointed at the empty seat again. The younger boy scurried over and sat down with them, and Merlin smiled.

"There," the wizard said, "Isn't that better?"

Marlet hesitated, then nodded. "…Thank you."

Several long moments passed in silence and then….

"You're new here?" the younger boy asked timidly.

Merlin nodded. "I just enrolled yesterday."

"Liking it here so far?" Marlet asked in a disinterested tone, as if he were asking 'What color is that tapestry?'.

Merlin snorted. "Not really, no."

Marlet nodded, and continued eating his breakfast in silence.

It gave Merlin a chance to better catalogue the other boy's appearance. His shoulder length hair was a deep dark brown, almost black, and his skin was lightly tanned, like someone who spent time outdoors. He also had bright green eyes, and dark lashes, longer than a girl's. Add in his high cheekbones, and he was probably some girl's ideal man.

"How old are you?" Merlin asked suddenly.

Marlet looked surprised, but answered. "Seventeen. You?"

"Eighteen." The wizard looked over at Lancelot. "Care to add in?"

"I'm eighteen, too. Arthur's nineteen." he added.

Marlet snorted. "Who cares?"

Merlin smiled. "My thoughts exactly."

An hour later, Merlin was sitting in the library, trying to find the books needed for his classes on Monday. Lancelot had left because of a jousting club he was a member of, but Marlet had accompanied Merlin, and the two were becoming fast friends. Without other students around to potentially bully him, Marlet seemed to relax and open up.

" _The 10 Proper Ways to Address a Lord_," Merlin read off from his list. "_A History of Fallen Dukedoms and Why They Failed_…you actually read this nonsense?"

"We're tested on it every Thursday." was the prompt answer.

"Ugh." Merlin held the book as if they were diseased. "Unbelievable."

Marlet gave an impish smile. "Ah, but we must learn all about the nobility of the past and how awful they are. That way we're already prepared when today's nobles repeat the same idiocies."

Merlin snorted. Then something occurred to him.

"Do they have books on magic here?" he asked.

Marlet looked over at him, startled. "Why do you ask?"

Merlin shrugged. "No reason."

"You had to have had a reason, otherwise you wouldn't have asked."

"Mm."

"Is this your way of baiting me into admitting I'm a magician?" Marlet asked, starting to become angry. "Because you could just ask! I'd be happy to tell you."

"I'm not asking because you're a magician." Merlin assured him. "I asked…because _I_ am."

The younger boy was rendered speechless, eyes wide. "You?" he breathed, once the worst of the shock had passed.

"Me." Merlin confirmed, turning to blow the dust off the cover of a long-abandoned book.

"You?" Marlet repeated in disbelief.

"Yeah. Me." Underneath the dust the book seemed to be a strange gray color. Frowning, he peered closer at it.

"You?"

"Still me." Merlin affirmed, then held up the book. "This book used to be _green_. Can you believe that?"

Marlet blinked. "What?"

"I know. It's ridiculous." Nonetheless, he added the book to his stack. "So, where were we? Oh, right. Me, you, me, you. Well, just to make it perfectly clear, yes, I'm a wizard. But don't go advertising it." he added hastily.

Marlet snorted, rolling his eyes. "Because I'm very much with the in-crowd."

Merlin grinned. "Just making sure."

"I'm a magic-user. What possible good could come from my turning on you?" He looked thoughtful. "You're the only one to be nice to me." Then he blushed. "That was stupid, never mind."

Merlin smiled. "It wasn't stupid. So," he continued, clearing his throat, "where can I find some magic books around here?"

"This way." Marlet said eagerly, grabbing his by the elbow. "They have some at the back; they're trying to keep students from finding them."

Unfortunately, as soon as they rounded the corner they crashed into Arthur.

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><p><strong>AN: I know, I know, it's a cliffhanger, I'm sorry! But I just couldn't resist. XD. **

**If it's any consolation at all, I'll have the next chapter up really soon. Like, really **_**really**_** soon. I just need to do some writing for my other fics, especially for my adopted one. It's very interesting, I've discovered, writing four fics at once. XD. In any case, reviews, please! I love reviews, they brighten my day considerably. Also, anyone who reviews or adds the story to their alerts or favorites gets a personal thank you on my profile. I do this for all my stories, though, so you'll need to scroll down a bit. XD. **

**Looking forward to hearing from you all!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Greetings! First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who's reading this story. And extra special thanks to everyone who's put it on alerts or favorites. You're all wonderful! **

**Second, I apologize for pulling a cliffy at the end of the last chapter. I know it wasn't very nice of me. XD.**

**Third, I am SO sorry for not updating sooner. Honestly, I was going to update a week ago, but my doc manager wasn't uploading anything; it kept spouting off nonsense about file extensions. But, I guess it's working now, so... enjoy the chapter! **

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><p><em>Uh-oh <em>was Merlin's first thought. It was his second one, too.

His third thought was _Did he hear us talk about magic? _and that quickly became his biggest worry.

But looking at Arthur's face, it seemed like the king's son hadn't overheard their conversation. He seemed just as surprised to see them there. The prince quickly changed his expression though, schooling his features into that haughty entitled look.

"Well, what do we have here?" Arthur smirked. "Two little bookworms, buried up to their ears in homework."

"Some of us don't have the advantage of our kingly father being friends with the headmaster." Merlin said, shooting Marlet a don't-freak-out-everything's-fine look.

Arthur snorted. "I don't need my father's influence to pass my classes."

"Oh, sure, sure. That's why you're here, then? To study? It definitely wouldn't be because you were following us."

"F-follow you?" The prince laughed, though it sounded a little forced. "You're just some poor peasant transfer, why would I waste my time following you?"

Merlin arched an eyebrow. "Oh, well in that case…" He grabbed Marlet by the arm, and walked past Arthur, ignoring the books he'd dropped.

"H-hey! Your books-" The prince called after him.

Merlin didn't answer, and soon they had left the prince standing in between the shelves, an unreadable expression on his face.

"I'd never have talked to the prince like that!" Marlet whispered as Merlin led him out of the library.

Merlin shrugged. "I'm not you. Besides, I didn't plan to say that. It…just sort of came out."

"Came out?" Marlet repeated, looking confused.

Merlin flushed. "I don't know. I just feel…strange, when I see him. It irritates me."

Marlet frowned. "I'm not sure I follow, but…okay. Hey," he added. "let's go meet Lance. His club should be over by now. We can go for an early lunch."

Merlin nodded, still feeling unsettled. "Lance. Lunch. Sure."

An hour later, Merlin was headed back to his room, after a lunch of fish and mashed potatoes. For him, lunch had been a rather awkward affair. Lancelot had been cheerful after his club, but Marlet was jittery after getting back from the library, whereas Merlin was silent and brooding. Made more so when he noticed Arthur watching him with a puzzled frown. He'd left the dining hall feeling even more bothered than before.

Reaching his room, however, he was surprised by a stack of books outside the door. His stack of books, in fact. Complete with the gray-used-to-be-green volume on local history.

_Arthur must have brought them_, Merlin realized. _But…why? _Frowning, he picked up his books, and entered his room. He sat down at his tiny writing desk, and decided to try and get through some of the assigned reading he had to catch up on. Transferring in after the school year had started, he needed to get up to speed. Fast. Unfortunately, Arthur's strange behavior was nagging at the back of his mind, and he couldn't concentrate.

"Stupid princeling." Merlin muttered, trying for the fifth time to read a passage on an earl who'd traded two dozen cows for a statue of gold. "Stupid earl. Stupid school." _Stupid Arthur. _

He couldn't understand why Arthur's strange behavior bothered him so. It didn't make any sense.

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, so it was a really really short chapter, for which I apologize. But it was an important chapter, don't you agree? (Amiri: You in particular should have enjoyed this chapter. :D). I've got the next chapter almost done, and it's much longer, so look forward to that. Anyway darling readers, review and let me know what you think so far. I love feedback. :D**

**Also, I've recently started a blog, where I'll also be posting my stories. So if there's ever another dryspell for my stories, check my profile, and hop on over ot my blog, because odds are the dryspell stems from hijinks. The blog'll have some of my original works, too, if you're interested in those (though you can also find 'em at fictionpress, under the username LazuliLarisa). **

**Wow, I've just shamelessly advertised, haven't I? XD Oh well. Have a wonderful day people. :D  
><strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Welcome! I present to you: Chapter 4 of Camelot Academy. It's pretty short, unfortunately, but it's setting the stage for a fun adventure in the near future. Enjoy reading it, and please review afterwards~**

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><p>Merlin woke up on Monday morning with a distinct feeling of foreboding. <em>First day of classes. Terrific. <em>

His first class was Lessons in Noble Hierarchy, taught by Professor Telmvale. It was an hour long class, and he was not looking forward to it. At all.

And his enthusiasm for the class went down even further once he entered the classroom, realizing that neither Lancelot nor Marlet were in his class.

But Arthur was.

_Great. _Merlin slunk to the back of the room, and sat at a desk in the corner by a window. _Just what I need, His Princeliness himself, in my class. _

Luckily, Arthur didn't seem to notice him, too involved with his crew of lackeys to see him come in. He was talking animatedly with another student, a burly fellow named Harold Warblet.

Warblet, Lancelot had told him, was one of the more feared bullies at the Academy, due in large part to his muscled bulk. And he also had, of course, the air of entitlement that came from being Duke Victor Warblet's oldest son.

Merlin disliked him already, in no small part because Harold had gone out of his way to bully Marlet in the past. Something Merlin decided then and there would never happen again.

He was spared more morbid thoughts by the arrival of the teacher. _Finally. _

The next hour passed unbearably slowly. For Merlin, at least. The rest of the class seemed content to listen to the teacher blather on about the structure of a fiefdom.

Well, Arthur seemed to be an exception. He looked beyond bored.

_He's a sword-swinging type_, Marlet had told Merlin. _He's inclined towards knighthood, not scholarly pursuits. _

Well, that explained a lot. Like why Arthur had chosen to toss him around a bit instead of just reporting him to the headmaster like any other student would have done. He'd have wanted to deal with the problem himself, instead of running to an authority figure.

_Then again, _Merlin mused, _he's sort of an authority figure on his own, isn't he? Crown prince and all that. _

As if picking up on Merlin's thoughts, the prince in question suddenly noticed him, and grinned.

Merlin jumped in his seat, startled by the suddenness of it. He frowned. _What's he want?_

Arthur glanced at the teacher, and when the man was facing away from the class for a moment, the prince took advantage of the moment to toss a wad of paper across to him.

He stared at it. And then looked up to stare at Arthur.

The prince waved a hand at him, as if to say 'Hurry up and read it'.

He frowned, and unfolded the paper.

_You look like you find this just as boring as I do, _the note said.

Merlin blinked. Then picked up his quill. _That would be because it's boring. _And he tossed the paper back.

Arthur muffled his snort, and quickly scrawled something else on the paper before passing it back.

_Want to leave?_

_The school? _Merlin wrote, confused.

_No, moron. The class. It's boring, we should leave. _

Merlin frowned. _We can't just get up and go. _

_I'll take care of it. _

Merlin looked at him. Arthur was a prince, but even princes couldn't just get up and walk out in the middle of class. He was about to write something back when an ink well came sailing through the air to hit him in the face, splattering him with ink.

"Pendragon!" the teacher barked. "What is the matter with you?"

"Oh, well." Arthur shrugged. "I didn't like the look of his tunic. Figured I should…you know, add a bit of color."

"Since when is black a color?" Merlin demanded.

Arthur just rolled his eyes.

"Both of you, get out." The teacher ordered. "This class isn't for personal tiffs."

Arthur flashed a charming smile and strode out of the room. Merlin hesitated, and then followed the prince out of the room.

"So," Arthur said cheerfully, turning around to face him once they reached the main hallway. "Where to now?"

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, so it wasn't as long as I thought it'd be. But it brings the promise of adventures in the next chapter. Just imagine, Arthur and Merlin set loose on the school campus together. What trouble will they get themselves into? ; P**

**Oh, and just to tease you, here's a preview of next time (like they do at the ends of episodes, yes?):**

_~Next time on Camelot Academy~_

_Merlin: We were just kicked out of class. _

_Arthur: Perfect time for a stroll_…

_...Merlin:…The western woods are full of monsters. _

_Arthur: Exactly_…

_...Merlin: That's a chimera. _

_[roar]_

_Merlin: Still having fun?_

_Arthur: Run!_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Okay, so~ I apologize for the shortness of chapters. My life's rather hectic currently (in the 'all hell breaks loose' variety), so I hope you can understand why this story is going more slowly than I originally intended. I'll definitely be continuing this story, though. So, worry not. :D **

**Now, when we last left off, our beloved Merthur pairing (did I really just say that? Huh.) had been kicked out of class. And in true Merthur fashion, they're gonna go land themselves in trouble. XD**

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><p>Merlin stared at him. "What?"<p>

"I said, where do want to go?"

"Go?…We were just kicked out of class."

"I know." Arthur said happily. "Perfect time for a stroll." And with that he started off down the hall.

"A stroll?" Merlin repeated warily, following after.

"Through the western woods." Arthur elaborated.

"…The western woods are full of monsters."

"Exactly." Arthur said, seeming extremely satisfied.

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><p>They actually made it a decent distance into the forest without incident. Of course, it wasn't going to last. But neither of them were aware of the creature silently stalking them as they tromped through the forest.<p>

"Come on, Merlin, keep up."

"Slow down!" The young wizard shouted in response.

"I'm not even going very fast!" The prince said, exasperated.

"You're prancing through the forest like a unicorn with its mane on fire." Merlin retorted.

Arthur snorted. "Because you'd know what that looks like."

The magician neglected to mention that, yes, he did actually know what a unicorn with its mane on fire looked like, having accidentally caught one on fire once by accident. Luckily nothing bad had come out it; he'd heard that hurting a unicorn was a _very_ bad idea. Resulted in being cursed, apparently. He was grateful nothing had happened to him. "Anyway," he said, changing the subject, "What're we doing all the way out here? Campus not interesting for you?"

"Definitely not." Arthur jumped over a fallen tree. "Besides, you look like you could use some time outdoors. You're all…pasty."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"I am not pasty! I'm a little pale, that's all."

"Sure, Merlin. Whatever you say."

Merlin opened his mouth to snap back a retort, but Arthur suddenly rushed back to his side and clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Did you hear that?" The prince asked.

Merlin glared at him. "Mmf?" '_Mmf_' here having the meaning of '_what_'.

"Shh."

Merlin rolled his eyes. And then jumped a mile in the air when something large erupted from the bushes.

Arthur released Merlin and drew his sword, which he'd retrieved from his room at the insistence of Merlin, who had refused to go anywhere near the forest without one of them being armed.

"That's a chimera." Merlin said in disbelief, staring at monster.

"A what?" Arthur demanded.

" It's…it's…That!" He waved frantically at the beast. "A lion with a snake for a tail and a goat's head sticking out of its back. All of it cranky."

The amalgam in question chose that moment to charge at them. Maybe it felt insulted.

Roaring, the chimera managed to swat away Arthur's sword, putting the weapon out of their reach.

They managed to dodge away, ducking behind a fallen tree.

"Still having fun?" Merlin gasped.

"Run!" Arthur shouted, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him along.

For once, Merlin wholeheartedly agreed with the prince, and they sprinted through the forest together until they reached their school again.

"Well," Arthur panted, turning to grin at him. "That was certainly a new experience."

Merlin couldn't help it, he laughed.

"Did you have fun?" The prince asked.

Merlin, still trying to catch his breath, simply nodded. It was strange, but he _had_ enjoyed their little adventure.

Arthur beamed. "Good. That's good. I'm glad."

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><p><strong>AN: So….drop me a review, let me know what you think. Did you enjoy our first real adventure with our darling duo? **

**I apologize for it being short, but I've discovered that I can crank these chapters out faster if I do 'em short like this. And the quality's not suffering right? So it's all good. :D**

**Oh, and as a side note, I have recently started a forum called The Roadhouse. It's a fine establishment where anything goes. Come in, advertise your story, ask for reviews, or just hang out and chat with some awesome people. You can even start a thread/topic of your own about anything you like. Or, hey, start several. Anything goes. :D You can find the (web) address on my profile, both at the top and in my announcements. So you have no excuse for not stopping in to at least say 'hello'. XD. **

~Next time on Camelot Academy~

_Arthur: A test? On what?…_

_Lancelot: Jousting? Why do we need to know how to joust? It's not like we're going to need it in the future…_

_Marlet: A tournament? They're forcing us to participate in a tournament?_

_Arthur: Brilliant! Let's get started._

…_Merlin: This is completely ridiculous. We're being graded by how far we get in the tournament?_

_Marlet: I can't even ride a horse. How is this fair?_

_Merlin: Maybe we can get out of it?_

…_Arthur: Merlin, you can't just sneak off. Hey, get back here!_


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Well, avid readers, I present to you: Chapter 6 of Camelot Academy! *trumpet fanfare***

**I hope you've all been eagerly looking forward to this chapter, in which we shall have part one of jousting hijinks. Be sure to review after you're done reading, please. I love hearing from you guys. :D**

**(Oh, and I'm really sorry for the delay in posting this; we no longer have internet at my house, so I'm having to bike to the library to do all fanfic-related things.)**

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><p>After the adventure in the forest, Arthur started spending more time with Merlin and his friends, much to the distaste of his previous acquaintances. Whenever Merlin asked about it, all he'd say was 'I'm enjoying myself more with you'.<p>

"What day is it?" Merlin asked groggily when Arthur and Lancelot, who had become fast friends, showed up at his room.

"It's Thursday, you clod, get up." Arthur grabbed the blanket and yanked it away. "And we're late for class."

"…..mm." He rolled over and buried his face in his pillow.

Lancelot sighed. "Come on, Merlin, get up." No response. "Merlin?"

"I'm sleeping," the wizard answered, "Come back later."

Arthur took the pillow away, and Merlin sat up, looking irritated.

"Don't make that face," Arthur scolded, tossing the pillow into a corner. "We've been told to be on time to class today."

"Yeah, and you're _such_ a stickler for rules."

"I am when it's Ceremonial Fighting." The prince said defensively.

"Ugh."

"If you don't like the class," Lancelot said, "why are you taking it? I mean, Marlet has to, he's low on academic credits. But you're doing fine. So why?"

"Arthur made me." Merlin answered, getting out of bed. "Now go away, I need to get dressed."

"Need some help?" Arthur teased. "You still look pretty out of it."

Merlin tossed an almanac at him and he left with Lancelot, laughing.

Ten minutes later, Merlin emerged, looking decidedly disgruntled. But he followed Arthur and Lancelot out onto the training field where the class was. He'd rather be miserable in a class with Arthur than sleeping in his room.

Together the three of them joined the cluster of students listening avidly to the teacher.

"You see," Arthur hissed, "class has already started."

Merlin just shrugged.

"Shh," Lancelot said when Arthur opened his mouth to say something else, "I can't hear."

The prince lapsed into silence after shooting Lancelot a dark look.

"As I was saying," the teacher said, continuing a monologue they'd missed the beginning of, "this is an honor to the school. Never before in the academy's history have we had such a splendid opportunity to showcase our fighting talents. Now," the man gestured to a rack of jousting gear, "this tournament tomorrow is an excellent opportunity for all of you as well. Each of you shall be outfitted with armor and weaponry, provided with a mount, and entered in the tournament. You're going to be graded on how well you perform in the tournament, so I encourage each and every one of you to give it your all."

This tirade was met with cheers from everyone in the class, with the exception of Merlin and Marlet, who exchanged horrified looks.

_This is going to end badly_, Merlin thought, eyeing the jousting equipment apprehensively.

"Come on, Merlin, at least _try_ holding it properly!" Arthur snapped, shifting in his saddle.

"I am trying!" Merlin shouted back. "It's…" he hefted it irritably. "Heavy!"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Of course it's heavy, you dolt. It's a _weapon_."

Merlin huffed but didn't answer.

"Oh, come on, don't be such a big baby," Arthur said, nudging his horse towards Merlin's. "It's not as hard as you're making it out to be."

Merlin glared at him. "I'm not cut out for this warrior thing, okay?"

The prince looked him over. "No," he agreed after a moment. "You're really not."

"Switch partners!" The teacher called out.

Merlin cursed.

"Best of luck," Arthur offered cheerily. "You're with Lancelot next."

Merlin groaned. Lancelot was exceptionally gifted at jousting; the teacher had repeatedly proclaimed him a prodigy. "I'm doomed."

"Yeah."

"Why is participation mandatory?" Merlin demanded later at dinner. "Shouldn't we be allowed to drop out if we really want to?"

"You could fake an injury," Marlet offered. "Though since your uncle's the nurse, that might not go well…"

"He'd probably send me straight back to the tournament," Merlin agreed. "He thinks I should try to fit in more."

"Well," Marlet said, "he does sort of have a point. I mean, we need to be careful, you know? If we avoid to many of these physical-type things, people will start snooping around. Who knows what they'll find?"

"Meaning our magic," Merlin sighed. "I know, Mar. It just bothers me."

"It bothers me, too. I spent half of class partner with that giant they call Duke Liam's son."

"Hey, you two." Lancelot came over and sat. "Excited for tomorrow?""No," they answered flatly.

He shook his head. "I think you're both being ridiculous. It's not so bad once you practice a bit."

"Lance," Merlin said seriously, "You have years of practice more than we do. I'm not into this whole warrior thing."

Lancelot nodded. "Arthur said something about that earlier. He also said you need to get a little more muscle on you. Something about being too scrawny. And pale."

Merlin shook his head. "He's being stupid."

"Sounds like he's worried," Marlet said.

"Arthur? Worried about me?" Merlin shook his head again. "Not likely."

"Mm…" Marlet bit his lip. "I dunno. I think he cares about-"

"Attention, students!" A teacher called, interrupting whatever Marlet had been about to say. "If you'd be so kind as you give me a moment of your time, I'm like to announce the line-ups for the jousting tournament tomorrow." Murmurs broke out as the teacher continued. "The first match will be-"

"Ugh." Merlin slammed his head on the table. "This is horrible."

Lancelot ignored him, listening raptly, while Marlet just stared dejectedly into his soup.

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, so right about now you're probably all going "What? That was short!" or something like that, right? I meant for the tournament to happen in this chapter, but I'm having trouble writing it so I don't have it done yet. But it's been too long since I posted anything, so I figured you'd all rather have a short chapter than nothing at all, so….yeah. Feel free to rage at me for leaving you hanging and for taking so long to post this in the first place, just keep in mind it wasn't my intention. **

**Anyhow….reviews = love. :D**

**And there's no preview since the last one still applies. Let's say this jousting business is a two-part episode, shall we? ;P**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:….*peers out* Okay, so, if you would all please stow away your torches and pitchforks. All other sharp implements as well, if you don't mind. *glances around* Thank you. **

**I know I was gone for a while, and I am SO sorry. I was totally meaning to update sooner. But stuff kept coming up to get in my way, you know? First it was odd housework tasks, and then I went to see Avengers with some friends (Hi Allieyy. I know you're reading this. :D), and then other stuff just sort of cropped up. I could go into a whole long rant about everything that's happened (and trust me, it would be long and very memorable), but I'm guessing you guys don't care, right? That you just want me to shut up so you can get on with part two of the jousting tournament, right? XD I thought so. **

**Anyway….I've been going over your guys' reviews, because they warm my heart and encourage me to keep writing. Although…I have 44 reviews….and over sixty people have this on their alerts. Just click the review button and type a smiley; you don't have to say anything. :D And speaking of the button…it's blue now. Which isn't really relevant to anything, I suppose, though I do find it interesting. :D Anyhow, I'll shut up now because I'm being spastic and you've all been waiting long enough. Enjoy the chapter! (And review!)**

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><p>Merlin sat in what Marlet had dubbed the 'waiting-tent-of-doom', feeling a little nervous. Well, more than a little.<p>

"I'm going to die," he moaned.

"Ah, don't be such a baby, Merlin." Arthur clapped him on the back. "You'll be fine."

Merlin gave him the look such a statement deserved.

"You'll live," the crown prince amended.

Merlin sighed.

"How's everything going in here?" Lancelot asked, entering the tent.

"Splendid," Arthur answered, smiling brightly. "How'd your match go?"

"Bit boring, really. The bloke wasn't even holding his lance properly."

Arthur sighed. "Hopefully your next fight will be more of a challenge."

Merlin looked back and forth between them. "You're both insane. What's wrong with a match being easy?"

"Oh, come on, Merlin." Arthur made a face. "It's no good if it's not challenging."

The magician glared at him. "I disagree."

The prince hmphed, and crossed his arms.

"Ah, you've upset him." Lancelot said, in rather the same tone someone might say 'hey look, it's started raining'.

Merlin rolled his eyes. "He'll get over it."

Arthur growled. "He's standing right here."

Merlin and Lancelot both nodded serenely.

"Huh."

"You don't say."

A page came into the tent. "Prince Arthur?"

Arthur glanced over. "Yes?"

The page swallowed nervously. "Your fight is next, my lord."

Arthur perked up. "Brilliant." He swept out of the tent looking like it was the best day of his life.

"Mind if I go watch?" Lancelot asked, looking at Merlin. "I think this fight is going to be worth seeing."

Merlin waved at him. "By all means."

As soon as Lancelot was gone, Merlin snuck a look outside. No one was looking in his direction, and the page from earlier had disappeared, trailing in Lancelot's wake as he went to watch Arthur's first match.

_Perfect. _He smirked, and slipped out of the tent, and away from the tournament.

He wandered around for a bit before crashing into someone outside the school's blacksmith building.

And, yes. Literally crashed.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" the young woman scrambled to her feet and hurried to help Merlin up. "I didn't see you there. Are you okay?"

Merlin stood, and looked at her. Dark hair, and darker skin than was usual. Honestly, she was quite pretty. He smiled. "I'm fine. And don't apologize, I was the one who ran into you."

She shook her head. "I'm always crashing into people like that, so I really think it's my fault."

"well, I think it's mine."

She stared at him. "….I'm Gwenivere," she said after a moment, giving him a nervous smile.

"Merlin." He offered his hand.

She flushed, and shook it. "It's very nice to meet you, Merlin" She looked at him curiously. "Are you a student here?"

He nodded. "Yeah. My uncle Gaius is the school physician, and he managed to get me in. I wouldn't be here if not for him."

She smiled. "That's nice. My father's the blacksmith." She pointed to the building behind her. "Though he's gone to town today with my brother to pick up some supplies." She frowned slightly. "If you're a student, shouldn't you be in that jousting tournament everyone's been going on about?"

He flushed. "Well, yeah….but I, um…"

"Ran away?" she teased, smiling.

He grinned. "Something like that, yeah."

"Well," she said, still smiling. "You're more than welcome to stay here with me until the tournament's over. I was just about to have lunch," she added. "You can join me."

"Oh, no, I couldn't. I don't want to impose and-"

"It's no imposition," she insisted. "With my father and brother in town I'll be lonely if you don't come."

He shifted nervously. "Well…I suppose if you're really sure…"

"Wonderful!" Gwenivere beamed, and grabbed his elbow, steering him towards the front door. "Come on, let's go eat."

Merlin let her lead him into a small cottage next to the actual blacksmith building.

"Uh…welcome to my home," Gwenivere said, smiling nervously.

Merlin smiled back. "Thanks." He looked around. "It's very nice."

And it was. It was a little on the small side, but had the warmth Merlin associated with a cozy family home.

"Uh, sit here, while I go finish the food, okay?" She pointed to a wooden chair at a table and then dashed off to the kitchen.

Which left Merlin sitting in the middle of a strange house, waiting for an almost-stranger to bring him a meal he hadn't been expecting. _If Arthur finds out about this, I'll never hear the end of it. _The prince was always saying that Merlin was either as obstinate as a mule or as easy to pushover as a dandelion. It seemed like this was a dandelion day.

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><p>Arthur dismounted his horse, heart racing after his jousting victory.<p>

"Great job, Arthur," Lancelot said, clapping him on the back.

"You're the best out of all of us," Marlet agreed.

Arthur grinned and then looked around. "Where's Merlin?"

Marlet and Lancelot exchanged nervous looks, not saying anything.

"Where's Merlin?" Arthur asked again.

When no answer was forthcoming, he pushed past his two friends and looked around the immediate area for himself. No Merlin. He went back to the tent and looked inside. No Merlin.

"Where is he?" Arthur demanded, grabbing at the innocent page standing nearby. "There was a boy around my age, in this tent. Where is he?"

"Ah, he, uh-"

"Speak up!"

"He, uh, ran away, my lord."

Arthur dropped his hand and the page scurried away, leaving just Marlet and Lancelot, who were looking at Arthur strangely.

"He…ran off?"

"He probably just didn't want to compete, Arthur," Lancelot said reasonably.

"He's been going on about it all day," Marlet added.

"I wanted him to see my match!" Arthur protested. "You probably should have told him that, then." Marlet pointed out.

"Besides," Lancelot continued, "that's only your first match. There'll be others."

"Speaking of matches, Merlin's is next, after the lunch break," Marlet said. "Should we go tell them he's gone?"

"Oh no," Arthur growled. "We're going to go find him." And without further ado, he stormed off across the field, focused only on finding the missing Merlin.

Marlet stared after him. "This is going to end badly."

"Most definitely," Lancelot agreed.

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><p>"Does everything taste alright?" Gwenivere asked nervously.<p>

"Everything's great," Merlin said. And it was. The food was simple, but delicious. It reminded him of his mother's food. "You're a really great cook."

Gwenivere blushed. "Thank you."

They continued eating in silence until…

"Merlin?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you run away from the jousting tournament? I mean, it's a requirement for you guys, right? Won't you get into trouble for not being there?"

"Probably," Merlin agreed. "But jousting isn't really my sort of thing."

"Oh?" Gwenivere looked at him curiously. "What is your 'sort of thing', then?"

"Ah, well…" He shrugged, unsure how to answer. He couldn't very well tell her 'I'm a wizard', could he? Not unless he wanted to get chucked in prison and executed. Not to mention Arthur's reaction if he found out… "I'm just more of a bookworm, is all. Running around swinging swords and things isn't something I've ever been very good at."

Gwenivere pursed her lips, and looked at him. "Mmm….I suppose not." She could tell there was something more to it, but didn't press him. "Won't you be missed, though? I mean, your friends are bound to notice that you've left."

Merlin snorted. "They're all too busy stabbing at each other to care, I'm sure."

Gwenivere frowned. "I'm sure that's not true. I bet they're all really worried."

Merlin shook his head, but didn't say anything.

"Why don't we go for a walk?" Gwenivere suggested. "I've been doing housework all day. I could use from fresh air."

"Okay."

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><p>"Arthur seems to be taking Merlin's disappearance rather personally," Marlet observed, watching as Arthur harassed a guardsmen posted near the field; the man had been on his lunch break when Merlin had left, and Arthur seemed more than happy to shout at him for it.<p>

"It's always personal for him when it comes to Merlin," Lancelot answered evenly.

"Hmm…."

Arthur stomped over, looking furious. "The stupid clod didn't see anything."

"Of course not," Marlet said reasonably. "He was on break when Merlin took off."

Arthur glared at him.

Marlet raised his hands in a backing -off gesture. "I'm just saying."

Arthur huffed.

" In any case," Lancelot said, "Who are you planning to attack for information next? It should probably be someone who's braver than that guardsmen. Because I think eventually word's going to get around and people are going to start hiding from you."

Arthur frowned at him. "I can never tell if you're serious or not when you say things like that."

Lancelot just smiled a bit.

"We could try asking Gaius," Marlet suggested. "Merlin's uncle," he explained at Arthur's confused look. "He's the infirmary physician," Lancelot added helpfully.

"I knew that," Arthur said defensively.

"No, you didn't," Lancelot said, "but you do now. So let's talk to him, shall we?" Without further ado, he started walking off.

"Just who's in charge of this search mission, anyway?" Arthur grumbled, following after.

Marlet smiled. "You are, of course. We're just saving you from going off on some poor person and getting detention for your trouble. Then who would find Merlin?"

Arthur mulled it over. "Good point."

"I know."

* * *

><p>"The light on the water is really beautiful," Gwenivere said, staring at the lake's surface.<p>

"Yeah," Merlin agreed. "It is." He felt comfortably talking to Gwen. It was like talking to a sister. Not he'd have known what having a sister was like; he was an only child, after all. But he imagined it to be something like this. "Gwenivere?"

"Oh, just Gwen, please."

"Alright then. Gwen?"

"Yes, Merlin?"

"I…." He frowned slightly; he had no idea what he'd been about to say. The urge speak had just seized him, suddenly, with no explanation. "Never mind."

She looked at him curiously. "Merlin?"

"It's nothing. Sorry."

She tilted her head, puzzled, but then nodded. "If you say so." She turned to look at the water again, and then shivered when a cold wind came up form the water's surface.

"Are you cold?" Merlin asked, worried. Gwenivere's dress, he just now noticed, had no sleeves.

"Just a little," Gwenivere said, rubbing her arms.

"Here," Merlin said, shrugging out of his jacket. "Take this."

"Oh, no, that's yours, I couldn't possibly-"

"I don't need it," he insisted. "You're cold. I don't want you to catch a chill or something."

She flushed slightly, but took the offered jacket. "Thank you, Merlin." She pulled it on. It was a little on the large side for someone Gwen's size, and long in the sleeves, but otherwise it fit well.

"Better?" he asked.

"Much," she said gratefully. "I appreciate it."

"It's no trouble. I really don't-"

"Merlin!"

Merlin jumped, startled. _Arthur? _He turned around.

Sure enough, standing on the hill behind them was the prince, flanked on either side by Marlet and Lancelot.

Merlin glared at the two of them. _Traitors. _Lancelot smirked, while Marlet just waved.

Arthur, on the other hand, looked like he was either going to have a coronary or kill someone. Possibly both.

"Are those your friends?" Gwenivere asked, surprised but not frightened. "The middle one looks rather upset."

"That's Arthur. He's probably mad at me for leaving the tournament."

"Arthur Pendragon?" Her eyes widened. "You know the prince?"

Merlin shrugged. "I guess."

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted, coming down the hill. "What are you doing here? I've been looking all over for you and-who's she?" he demanded, coming to a stop in front of them.

"Oh. Arthur, this is Gwenivere. Gwen, this is Prince Arthur."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, milord." Gwenivere bowed.

Arthur stared at her. "Gwenivere," he repeated.

"Yes, milord."

"…it's a pleasure to meet you," he said out loud, while internally wondering about ten different things at once. Who was this girl, how did she know Merlin, how did Merlin know her well enough to call her 'Gwen'(were they really _that _close?), why was she wearing his jacket, why were they on a romantic lakeside stroll and so on. Those last two in particular really bothered him for some reason, as did the easy familiarity between the two. "So," he said, "you never told me you had a girlfriend, Merlin."

Gwenivere blushed beet red, while Merlin's pale cheeks flushed pale pink. "I-I don't. I mean, we only just met and I don't really…Not that I wouldn't go out with you, Gwen, I just don't think-"

Merlin's obvious embarrassment as well as the reassurances to the girl didn't help Arthur's mood much. "Stop babbling," he said crossly. "And let's go back."

Merlin scowled. "To the tournament?"

Arthur looked at him as if he were an idiot. "Yes, Merlin, to the tournament. What else would I be talking about?" He shook his head. "Honestly."

"We do need to hurry and get back," Marlet piped up. "We stopped by to see Gaius when we were looking for you, and he says that if you're not at least watching the tournament, he's going to have them throw you out of school."

"Which is why we're heading back. Right this very instant." Arthur grabbed Merlin by the elbow, more than content to pull him away from the girl. "Can't have you getting expelled, now can we?"

"I'll see you around, Merlin!" called Gwenivere as Arthur dragged him away.

"Absolutely!" he managed to shout back before Arthur spun him around and started marching him away. "What are you so worked up over?" he demanded, noticing that Arthur seemed more irritable than usual.

_Girl. He was with a girl. _"Nothing. Everything's fine. You missed my first match by the way.""I'm sorry," Merlin said sincerely.

"Not sorry enough," the prince growled. _Why was he with that girl? _

"Why are you so angry with me?" Merlin asked, baffled.

"Why? Why?" Arthur whirled on him. "It might be because you ran off!" _With a girl. _

"Arthur, I-"

"It never occurred to you to just wait around a bit. That after my first match maybe _I _would have wanted to go with you!"

Merlin snorted. "You're enjoying the tournament too much. You'd much rather be there than here with me."

Arthur resisted the impulse to strangle him.

"This is getting more interesting by the minute," Lancelot observed.

Marlet just frowned. "I really don't follow what's happening here."

"Arthur's jealous."

Marlet blinked. "What?"

"He feels like Merlin ran off to spend time with that Gwenivere girl instead of him," Lancelot explained, watching as Arthur continued pulling Merlin back towards the tournament. "It's no surprise that he's upset."

It didn't take Arthur long to wrestle Merlin back to the tournament field; it helped that Merlin was so slim and that Arthur was so determined.

Merlin, of course, was still less than thrilled with the situation. "If you make me compete-"

"You don't have to compete," Arthur said, exasperated. "You already missed your first match, anyway. You've probably been disqualified."

Merlin perked up considerably.

"It's not something to be happy about," Arthur grumbled.

"Better to have him here and happy than miserable and running off," Lancelot reminded him.

Arthur sighed. "Fine. Look," he said to Merlin, "Just…stay here, alright? Don't wander off."

Merlin rolled his eyes but sat down on a wooden spectator's bench. "Yes, sir."

"Arthur," Marlet interrupted. "Your second match is next."

"Splendid. Who against?"Lancelot smiled. "Me."

Arthur stared at him. "What?"

"It's true," Marlet said. "You both advanced to the semi-finals. Whoever wins the next match goes on to fight last year's champion."

Lancelot offered his hand. "Best of luck, Prince Arthur."Arthur made a face, but shook his hand. "This is ridiculous. I don't need luck."

_Yes, you do_, Marlet thought. Lancelot was the very best. Arthur was good, but Lancelot was better.

A page came running up to them. "Prince Arthur, Lancelot. They want you on the field. Your match is about to begin."

Arthur nodded, and followed after the page, Lancelot trailing behind them.

"Who do think will win?" Merlin asked.

"Lancelot," Marlet said immediately. "He's the best."

Merlin looked at him curiously, and then turned to look at the field. "Well, I hope Arthur wins."

They watched nervously as their two friends prepared to fight each other.

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><p><strong>AN: So…hi there. Did you like the chapter? It's longer than…any other chapter so far, I think. :D**

**Mostly because I had some specific things I wanted to happen in this chapter, and I knew rushing through it would be…bad. **

**Marlet: *nods* Disastrous. **

**LinariteLavanya:…..Where'd you come from?**

**Marlet: Your head, silly. **

**LL; Ah…well, that explains everything. *rolls eyes***

**Marlet: *smiles* In case anyone's wondering, I'm here because I was worried that our beloved authoress might be getting lonely in these author's note. **

**LL: Aww! You're such a sweetie! *hugs***

**Marlet. *embarrassed cough* And also to tell you that LinariteLavanya, also known as Lulu of The Roadhouse, is going to do her very best to update on a regular basis from here on out. She'd tell you herself, but she's worried you're all still mad at her. **

**LL: *hides* **

**Marlet:…As you can see. *sighs* In any case, 'Lulu' is planning to update every other week for sure, possibly once-weekly if things go well. And on Fridays or Mondays either way. *whispers to LL* Did I cover everything?**

**LL: *whispers back* I think so- Oh! No, wait. *pops out of hiding* Review, please! :D **

**Oh, and if anyone's interested, I have an original slash story going on fictionpress. It's called Coeur de la Lune, and my pen-name is LazuliLarisa. It's a good story, so if you're reading Camelot Academy for slash-ness, you'd probably like it. :D**

**Ah! And I don't know if that's the spelling of Gwenivere that the show uses, but it's the one I'm using even though I was raised on 'Guinevere'….my reasoning for this? Well, since everyone's always just calling her 'Gwen' anyway, might as well make the full name 'Gwenivere', so the nickname isn't, y'know…'Guin' from 'Guinevere'. XD Hope that makes sense. :D**

**And…no preview this time, because I'm in currently still in the process of writing the next chapter. I can tell you it involves, you know, Lancelet vs. Arthur at jousting, and Merlin trying to make Arthur feel better about things. Gwen may or may not make an appearance; Marlet, of course, is going to be in the chapter. Oh, and there'll be an attack on the school by…..nah, I'm not gonna tell you. XD. **

**On that cliffhanger note, cheers!**

**Anyway, review please! **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Okay, so...I'm back! I know it's been FOREVER since this fic was updated and I just want to say thank you so much for not giving up on me; your guys' support (and well-intentioned nagging to update xD) has meant the world to me, thank you. I apologize again for my long absence from the site; hopefully I won't ever be gone like that again. :)**

**Anyhoo, moving right along. This is the last chapter I had ready to upload _before_ I went on hiatus (meaning that everything from the next chapter onwards will be all new material). It's a little shorter than I remember, but I guess that's okay. In any case, I hope you guys like it. Reviews at the end would be much appreciated! ;D**

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><p>Merlin sat with Marlet in the bleachers, both of them fidgeting nervously.<p>

"I heard there's a bunch of people betting on who the winner will be," Marlet said, after their nervous silence had stretched on too long.

Merlin, focused on Arthur warming up his horse, was only half-listening. "Yeah?"

"Mm-hmm." Marlet nodded. "A lot of people think Lance is going to beat Arthur."

"What?" Merlin looked surprised. "You're not serious."  
>"Well, they're not so wrong, are they?" Marlet gave a nervous smile. "I mean, Lance is doing very well. I wouldn't be surprised if he beat Arthur."<p>

As it turned out, the match was a draw. After half an hour of back-and-forth jousting, the judges decided that the two competitors were evenly matched, and declared them co-champions.

Neither Arthur nor Lancelot were particularly pleased with this announcement.

The next few days after the jousting tournament passed very slowly and in the opinions of Lancelot and Marlet, very awkwardly. While Arthur and Lancelot eventually got past their stalemate and patched up their friendship, Arthur and Merlin went to mind-boggling lengths to avoid each other. Which was difficult at the best of times since they had most of their classes together.

The situation came to a head on a Thursday afternoon, when a mysterious young man around their age appeared on campus, an orphaned infant in tow.

"Who is that?" Marlet asked, peering down the hallway where the other boy was talking in a low voice to Gaius and the school headmaster.

"How should I know?" Arthur asked, irritated. "I've never seen him before."

Gaius seemed to hear them and waved a hand at them. "Marlet, Prince Arthur. Good day to you."

They hesitated, but went over to Gaius and the stranger.

"Good day, Gaius," Marlet said politely, bowing his head to the physician.

Arthur just stood there, looking over the newcomer.

Ruggedly handsome, he had soft dark brown hair that fell almost to his shoulders in slight waves, with dark eyes to match; he also had a slight dusting of stubble, indicating that he either didn't care to shave or had been out in the country without an opportunity to do so.

And then there was the baby in his arms.

Small and pink, the baby had a small fluff of white-blond hair and soft green eyes. It looked nothing like the young man holding it.

"My lord Arthur," Gaius said clearing his throat. "Might I introduce Gwaine? He is considering transferring to this school."

"With _that_?" Arthur asked, eying the baby.

Gwaine gave him a look. "It's a baby. Not a diseased sewer rat."

Arthur looked at him cooly. "Is it yours? Because I'm pretty sure the school has a pretty strict policy on teen fathers lugging their kids to classes."

Gwaine flushed slightly but glared at him severely in spite of it. "She's not mine. I found her in the woods on my way here."

Arthur was unconvined. "Uh-huh. Sure."

Gwaine gave him a once-over, seemed to decide the prince wasn't worth his time, and turned back to Gaius. "Sir?"

"Ah, yes." Gaius nodded. "I'm sure I can arrange something while you go collect your things."

Arthur frowned, confused.

"Gwaine must return to where his found the baby," Gaius explained. "He had to leave his belongings in he woods in order to bring the child here."

_Huh_. "Okay."

Gaius beamed. "Splendid."

Arthur blinked. _Splendid?_

"Prince Arthur will look after the child while you go gather your things."

_Wait, what?! _He opened his mouth to object but saw the smirk on Gwaine's face. Like the other boy knew he'd fail temporary childcare spectacularly. He shut his mouth, grimacing, but not complaining.

Gwaine's smirk widened. _This should be interesting._ "I'll be off then. I should be back by tomorrow afternoon. Early evening at the latest."

Gaius nodded, smiling amicably. "Take your time. There's no hurry."

It took all of Arthur's restraint not to glare at Merlin's uncle. _Like hell there isn't!_ He really had _no_ idea what to do with a baby. As a warrior, he knew all the ins and outs of sword work and battle tactics. Feeding, diaper changing, lullabies? Zilch.

He watched with mounting dread as Gwaine handed the baby over to Gaius so the older man could do a general check-up before she was turned over to Arthur. He watched Gwaine walk away down the hall as Gaius disappeared inside his clinic room.

_This is going to go horribly. _

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, that was Chapter 8. Short, I know, but not too terrible, right? Anyway, let me know what you think of it, okay? I know you were all probably hoping for some Merlin-uses-magic-to-help-Arthur-win for the jousting tournament, but I just don't think he'd do that when Arthur's going up against Lance, y'know? Also, the person who this story is a present for really wanted some Merther-looks-after-child action. And I have to admit, I did too. XD. **

**In any case, I'll try to have the next chapter up soon. I'm going to try to keep to a twice-monthly/every two weeks updating schedule for this fic for now, so the next update should be in about...2 weeks. :D You can keep track of my update schedule on my profile page, under the 'announcements' section. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Review, please! **


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